Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion

Didn't he have 5 - 6 different centre pairings in those 3 weeks? Needs a reliable centre inside him, I think he needs to move to the left with olam.
Yea, one major thing we are doing wrong is in not letting a pairing stick.

If we are going to hire people into the backline. I reckon our best shot would be to pinch a Center/Wing combo. People who know how to defend together and pass in sync with each other.
 
Benji going is a bad look

He could’ve stayed and actually reviewed tape or come in when no one is around to try and work out a new plan around our attack

When you’re losing …. players look at the “boss” to get inspiration and follow their lead.

If he doesn’t understand this then it’s bc he grew up with perhaps a different, privileged mind set than other players bc he was a unique one off talent who - yes hard to work really hard - but he never had to work hard to get his talent - he had it like no one else.

People say “generally” talented players make bad coaches and vice versa bc they didn’t have to work as hard as the toilers for their success. Yes Billy slater is killing it but he grew up with the storm system. Benji grew up with sheens saying “score 32 if they score 30… and play what you see don’t worry about building pressure”.

Benji is not Wayne or Craig - he hasn’t learnt the respect as a coach. His reputation as a great has given him a slight grace period with younger players who looked up to him but after 8,9,12 losses in a row we everyone starts to lose faith.

. If he doesnt get results quick and it looks like not only Steff but juniors like galvin and others don’t sign extensions bc they ( them, their managers or family) want to be in successful clubs… I think he’ll be shown the door or at least another senior assistant will be brought in

API not making origin despite people saying it’s a good thing is absolutely horrendous for us

Shows other players at our club they get penalized in our club bc of our results

He was a certainty before 8 losses on the trot

Benjis “eyes up football” is so bad. He or Robbie never created a consistent winning team for us when they were players - always good or bad… not like Billy slater at the storm or fitzy at roosters.

Steff not signing an extension already means he will 99% go… unless we offer him so much more than someone else. Who can blame him tho?

Most likely 3 wooden spoons in a row!!! That’s so so bad.
I've looked into my crystal ball tigermate, and it has shown me you are white in colour, with blond hair and blue eyes, in other words a real spunk to most women and possibly some men 😉.
You come from and were born in 'The Land of Hope and Glory', so in other words 'GOD Bless America' because you'll need HIS blessing if Donald Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon wins the next election.
Sorry, I digressed badly.
You come from the deep south Red Neck country and 'still have' black coloured slaves.

You must have... as you don't 🩸🩸🩸like hardworking slaves like Bunji having free time, or the slavelings either for that matter.
Rest assured tigermate, the break will do Bunji and all the players a lot of good Imo, as long as they don't get into mischief, say their prayers, go to bed early and hang a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree.
Then most importantly, Mr. and Mrs. Bunji might be trying to make babies, so they need the peace and quiet.
And gees I'm so old I've forgotten 🤔 what Yuh gotta do to make babies 😊.
Ps... please don't take the utter rubbish I have written seriously, it's the anti-depression meds I take of a night kicking in 🙂.
 
I see Penrith are trying to get salary cap compensation after May has been stood down for the year under the NRL’s rules & could only assume they will want to bring Papalii in for a late push this year… I know it’s not Penriths fault but should they really be allowed compensation? Surely teams should have some responsibility when signing players to account for their character? Yes he isn’t guilty yet & deserves to have his fair chance in court but May has done some questionable things in the past already
 
Apparently he's set to retire by the end of the year
Des Hasler had retired from footy all those years ago when the Mighty Wests Magpies were in need of a half.
He promptly un-retired 😀 when asked and played 1 more year.
The bloke I would love to see play for Us for 1 year is Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 💪 💪.
 
I see Penrith are trying to get salary cap compensation after May has been stood down for the year under the NRL’s rules & could only assume they will want to bring Papalii in for a late push this year… I know it’s not Penriths fault but should they really be allowed compensation? Surely teams should have some responsibility when signing players to account for their character? Yes he isn’t guilty yet & deserves to have his fair chance in court but May has done some questionable things in the past already
Yeah I think they should be allowed compensation.

Think of it this way. Say a player is stood down, then found not guilty. Ultimately, the NRL have made that team play a man down while still paying his salary based on an allegation alone. It's not fair.

Like it or not, we live in a society that is innocent until proven guilty.

I can understand the stand down based on not having the game in the papers every time the player steps onto the field, but a club should not be made to pay full whack on a player if he is not allowed on the field despite being free to walk the streets.
 
Yeah I think they should be allowed compensation.

Think of it this way. Say a player is stood down, then found not guilty. Ultimately, the NRL have made that team play a man down while still paying his salary based on an allegation alone. It's not fair.

Like it or not, we live in a society that is innocent until proven guilty.

I can understand the stand down based on not having the game in the papers every time the player steps onto the field, but a club should not be made to pay full whack on a player if he is not allowed on the field despite being free to walk the streets.
Fair points mate, well put 👌
 
Stef & Klem don't compliment one another as starting
front rowers at all. People familiar with American
sports understand the term 'stat padding'.
You don’t need knowledge of septic sports to understand this…we had Aaron Woods here once remember.
Lazy bastard never took a hard run in his life.
 
You don’t need knowledge of septic sports to understand this…we had Aaron Woods here once remember.
Lazy bastard never took a hard run in his life.
Let’s say we don’t have Stef or Klem for 2925, who are we signing to replace them ?
One player I’m hoping we go hard for and hopefully convince him to get an early release from his Sharks contract is Royce Hunt.
They have Fonua-Blake coming in, so it will not be enough room for all of their NRL standard props, they will have 6 or 7 of them.
Hunt although approaching 30 seems to still be playing with plenty of enthusiasm. He’s a big body who at least tries tn run the ball and tackle aggressively.
We would stilk need at least one more prop in this scenario.
 
Isn't it a rite bludger when you have a good sense of humour and people just don't get it.
Having a bloody good laugh can ease so much tension.
My wife of nearly 40 years still doesn't get my sense of humour 😕.
I know how you feel. I've been telling myself it's because I have superior intelligence it's unfair to expect a mere commoner to understand the verbal gold coming out of my mouth.
 
Let’s say we don’t have Stef or Klem for 2925, who are we signing to replace them ?
One player I’m hoping we go hard for and hopefully convince him to get an early release from his Sharks contract is Royce Hunt.
They have Fonua-Blake coming in, so it will not be enough room for all of their NRL standard props, they will have 6 or 7 of them.
Hunt although approaching 30 seems to still be playing with plenty of enthusiasm. He’s a big body who at least tries tn run the ball and tackle aggressively.
We would stilk need at least one more prop in this scenario.
If those boys are around in 2925 then big props to Moussa and the medical team
 
If those boys are around in 2925 then big props to Moussa and the medical team
Very funny.
Another Shark Tuku Tahupa is another big young beast showing good potential and currently off contract at the end of 2025.
With the high number of quality props on the Sharks roster, surely he’d only be on a minimal wage contract. If we do lose Stef, he’d be a potential like for like replacement.
3 others that many may not agree on, but have the body shape and dynamic we are looking for.
Max Bradbury another Shark who they poached off the Knights. A tall and aggressive young prop who looks to be playing well as a 20y.o prop in NSW Cup and regarded by many as a future rep prop.
Mat Croker who is off contract at the end of this season. He’s another big body, also quite mobile for a big man. He burst onto the NRL scene a few seasons back and looked like a top prospect, but for some reason at age 23 he has been demoted and playing NSW Cup as a 13. He might be one who needs a change of scenery and a new challenge, would be a good pick up at the right price.
Ben Condon another big, tall and mobile young 23y.o forward who has a little bit of NRL experience and regularly dominates at NSW Cuo level. He’s currently playing on an edge, but I recall him running riot as a prop against the Wests Magpies last season, he’s another that might be looking for a change of scenery and a new challenge.
Keep in mind nearly all the best props in the UK are on the wrong side of 30 so not realistic options for us moving forward.
 
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Assuming the Tigers can move Klemmer & Bateman along with Papali'i, I would expect:

Twal to step into the starting role. Been impressed with Twal's effort, biggest issue is he's just too similar to Klemmer.

Potential additions to the prop rotation: Lots of suggestions of well known players like Hunt etc. I don't think brand recognition is the problem. It's body type & style. We need bigger, bustling forwards to create impact off the bench- essentially what we expect Miller to become. But, it has to be done at a decent cost if salary cap management is Richo's priority. Peter Hola from the Raiders is a big, mobile prop they took from the Cowboys who can't get into their loaded prop rotation. Perfect type of bench player, without the cost. 2022 Raiders KOE player of the year. The other name I'd suggest is a Tigers junior- Thomas Mikaele. Big, bustling runner who is somewhat incomplete as a player. That's ok. It's the 20 minutes of damage in the middle to rest Stef or Twal that counts. Make metres (does that- check the stats) and create second phase play (can pop a pass).

The second row requires surgery. Obviously Sam Fainu is on one side. Probably Seyfarth is in line at this stage. I'd bring back yet another old Tiger in Luke Garner. Big, athletic & fast. Exactly what neither Papali'i or Bateman are. And Jack Williams from the Sharks looks like a player screaming out to get more regular 1st grade.

Want to know what Hola, Mikaele, Garner & Williams have in common?

All off contract. No 'swapsies' required. And not one of them tops $500k a year, I'd suspect.

That allows the club to look at another outside back or two (Euan Aitken is actually growing on me as a centre option & maybe Izaac Thompson from Souths?)

You mix these guys in with what we have, and what we have coming through, and I think it is a better balance.

And lastly- Hola, Mikaele, Garner, Williams, Aitken & Thompson (all off contract) are easily replaceable by the juniors we are developing without holding back guys that are ready to step in (Lualili'i, Fa'agutu, Miller, Sukkar etc, etc)
 
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